There are, of course, many different stockings used in everyday activities. Such stockings take many forms and appearances, both by way of colour and by way of materials used in the different areas of the stocking.
One type of stocking used which is popular for leisure activities is a cotton knit stocking. Such a stocking provides warmth to the user and, as well, it has a fashionable appearance in leisure activities.
Such a stocking, however, has deficiencies. One such deficiency is that the stocking is relatively thick throughout its length. When such a stocking is worn with a shoe, it has a tendency to cramp or squeeze the foot of the wearer. This, of course, is uncomfortable and can actually cause injury to the foot of the wearer over time.
A further deficiency of such a stocking is that the foot portion, being relatively thick, can cause the shoe of the wearer to stretch. When the user wishes to wear the shoe with a thin stocking, the shoe will have a fit that is somewhat large on the foot of the wearer.
Yet a further deficiency of such a stocking is that the foot portion, being relatively thick and causing a squeezing of the foot, will cause the foot to perspire unnecessarily. This is uncomfortable.
A second type of stocking is one which is used for business or formal activities or with a good leather walking shoe which may be used particularly often for the elderly. This type of stocking is generally silk or nylon and does not provide warmth for the ankle and lower leg portion although it does have the advantage of a comfortable fit within the shoe with which the stocking is worn.
One stocking according to the prior art is the stocking illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 32,603 by Sutro. This stocking shows a half hose stocking with a foot portion having an unribbed fabric and a top portion being uniformly ribbed. The foot portion is not silk or nylon and the top portion is not cotton knit. While the foot portion is slightly thinner that the leg portion, there is no teaching than this is substantially so. Further there is no teaching in this patent that the leg portion may be pulled up or pushed down to a position lower on the leg and surrounding the ankle such as is the case with a sock known as a "slouch sock."
A slouch sock has a greater amount of material in the leg portion and it is more relaxed since there is no elastic material in the leg portion.
Yet a further sock is one illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 183,257 to Holder et al. This reference teaches a stocking with a plain knitted bottom and a ribbed top. It is not a slouch sock. Rather, it is a cotton sock having the inherent deficiency of the bulk of cotton for the foot portion.
Yet a further stocking is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,215 to Guigley. This reference teaches a tubular sock having a double thickness on the foot. This reference, however, is much different from the sock according to the present invention since thickness in the foot portion is undesirable as described heretofore.
Yet a further stocking is one shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 808,204 to Kayser. This reference teaches a stocking having a foot portion partially made from silk. The foot portion has a toe area that is reinforced by a material such as cotton for durability purposes. It does not teach a slouch sock nor a sock with a cotton upper portion.